(688) Ghostlight - Part 3

This episode is the final episode of Doctor Who to be made in the classic era. I have got use to the three episode format because there are plenty of positives to take from them such as they are shorter and don’t have to accommodate as much padding. The problem that there has been with the narrative of this serial is that it seems that the plot has been crammed into this single episode. Only now do things start to happen but I am still at a loss to describe what the actual theme of the story was. I get that the Doctor was trying to do his Dr Phil thing on Ace and there was a thing about Josiah Smith but apart from that it’s still a bit of a mystery.  

Light appears at the very beginning of the episode and I am somewhat disappointed with him because he offers very little to the story despite this sort of god-like vibe. I get that he is the most superior being in this story but that’s only because he’s the one with some colour in his costume. I don’t see the point of Control. Control wants to become ‘lady-like’ for reasons that are total confusing and I found this aspect of the script to be totally dull.

There’s a great bit where Ace is tormented by her regret with what would happen in 100 years. It is perhaps my favourite part of the episode. Sophie Aldred really has been superb in this story because it’s explored more of her character and her mental state. I thought that this was a strong episode for Sylvester McCoy as well because he showed us why his Doctor is often underrated by using words to defeat situations as opposed to convoluted devices.

I knew it had to come sooner or later. Mrs Pritchard shows some emotion for the first time in this serial. She smiles for the first time when she shares a scene with Gwendoline when its revealed that they are actually mother and daughter. They end up being turned into stone which seemed like a nice end for the pair. It’s typical that we wait until the end before something good happens with Gwendoline. She actually shows some menace and I thought that she was plausible as a baddie (just).

Smith plans to assassinate Queen Victoria which is the first interesting thing about Smith for quite sometime. I don’t know why its taken so long for this to surface but at least it showed a reason why there was something dodgy about Smith. It has been a good performance from Ian Hogg because the character of Smith could have been sent up in a rather pantomime fashion but Hogg does a good job in towing the line.

This story hasn’t been as much of a grind as I thought it was going to be although I suspect watching it in one go isn’t the best way to watch this adventure. Halfway through this season and I think that the show was well on its way to getting its mojo back. It’s just a shame the plug was pulled two stories later. I have just over a week left of the classic era and as the episodes are progressing I am getting more annoyed that the decision was taken to rest the programme but then on the other hand excited about what is coming my way.

(687) Ghost Light - Part 2

I had forgotten to mention that this is a 100% studio based story with only a few shots of the house shown sporadically throughout the three episodes. It takes nearly five minutes for Ace to be rescued although it’s not clear whether she saved herself or the Doctor was the one that saved the day. In fact for the first 10 minutes or so I really didn’t understand what was going on. It all looked very nice but I couldn’t write down what happens in this episode.

Mrs Pritchard continues to be a laugh a minute character as she pretty much puts the boot into Gwendoline calling her a music hall trollop which I thought was a bit strong. That said she continues to be an impressive presence in the story. It difficult to know what to make of Smith because he seems like a villain but has troubles. There is a scene with Smith where he looks less than well and Matthews slowly becomes a chimp and whilst this happens he has a rather sinister chuckle.

Inspector Mackenzie is a character that appears to be a comedy character. He was sent to the house in 1881 and mothballed and is then woken up and proceeds to eat food. It seems like he has been created like this because at the moment there is zero humour and I think that the story needs something but not too much and McKenzie gives us that.

As this is Ace’s story its only right that I talk about her ventures in this episode. She starts off of course about to be attacked by the monster but its one scene in particular which always has the same effect on me. It when she is in bed having breakfast and talking to Mrs Grose. The line where she says she might take a walk around Perivale village and every time I hear that line I just wish that they had some money in the budget to do location filming and around 1880’s Perivale.

The biggest development is the introduction of Control. Control was heard (briefly) in the first episode and their involvement in the episode is greater in this episode. Although even by the end of the episode we haven’t seen a physical body. With this being a three part story it would have been wiser I think to include either Control or Light in this episode. I worry that the final episode is going to be a rush job.

Light appears at the end of the episode and its bright light on the Doctor’s face is what forms the cliffhanger. To be honest it’s not a terrible ending but it’s not the sort of smash grab feel ending that I think the story needed but I suppose that it suited the style of the episode. Overall though I think that this story is one of style over substance. There is very little going on but at least the sets look very impressive so there is something to keep me glued to the screen for the remaining episode.

(686) Ghostlight - Part 1

Even though this was the second of four stories in the season, it’s was the final story to be produced in the classic era. The next time a Doctor Who story would produce again would be in the US of A. The thing about this story is that it’s one that I have found very confusing and as a result its not one of those that ranks in my top ten. I do have hope hopes that over the next three days things will be made clearer. The opening scene is very eerie and things are made even eerier when the servants are pretty much tripping over themselves to leave.

This story is arguably a cruel lesson from the Doctor. Ace has a secret that we learn the house that this story is set is the one that she burnt to the ground a hundred years in the future. This is some nice development of the character of Ace and it shows that it was possible to develop characters in the classic era. It’s a good episode (and indeed story) for Sophie Aldred as she takes this rare opportunity given to her and runs with it. She even manages to make the character of Gwendoline seem a bit more animated because she does come across at the beginning as just a bit of nothing.

There is a funny routine in the first half of the episode where Ace’s clothing causes controversy. The fact that her shoulders are on display is something that shocks people. It’s hard to remember that this story takes place in 1883 when such things aren’t as informal as they are today. God knows what they would make of Clara of Amy Pond. The supporting characters are all in different ways. Ian Hogg plays Josiah Samuel Smith. The character is wonderful because he is very passive aggressive from start to finish. Mrs Pritchard (Sylvia Syms) is very creepy and doesn’t crack a smile at all. She does the dirty work for Smith and I struggle to decide who is the more evil. Michael Cochrane returns to Doctor Who after appearing in Black Orchid (1982) but this is arguably his strongest role. Here he plays Redvers Fenn-Cooper who is a little bit mad. Carl Forgione plays Nimrod and from the moment he appears on screen he is someone that the viewer is able to trust because he doesn’t talk down to the Doctor. Forgoine is impressive because he goes to the trouble of walking like a Neanderthal.

The cliffhanger is perhaps the only disappointing because its Ace being menaced by some weird creatures. There is something good about the fact that she doesn’t scream but apart from that I was left disappointed with the ending. I will be honest and say that despite enjoying what I see, I am still struggling to understand just what is going on. I get that the Doctor is trying to understand Ace a bit more but apart from that it seems like they have arrived in a low rent Upstairs Downstairs.